Related Links

STANFORD, Calif. –Shayne Skov, Ben Gardner, Trent Murphy and David Yankey have been named team captains for the 2013 season, as voted upon by their Stanford football teammates Wednesday evening.

Skov, a fifth-year senior inside linebacker, earlier this season was named to the Bednarik, Nagurski, Butkus and Rotary Lombardi Award watch lists. The defense’s vocal leader is also a preseason second team All-American by SI.com after starting 13 games in 2012 while leading a record-breaking Cardinal defense with 81 tackles.

An offensive guard who earned preseason All-America honors from ESPN.com, CBSSports.com and SI.com, Yankey was also named to the Outland Trophy, Maxwell and Lombardi Award watch lists. The versatile senior lineman was a consensus All-American after a junior season in which he started all 14 games at left tackle after playing the previous season at left guard. Yankey played four of five offensive line positions in 2012, in addition to tight end and wing. He protected two first-year starting quarterbacks for a conference-low 17 sacks during the regular season and paved way for Stepfan Taylor’s 1,530 rushing yards, the second-highest total in school history.

Finding a spot on the Bednarik, Butkus, Rotary Lombardi, Nagurski Award preseason watch lists is Murphy, a fifth-year senior outside linebacker who has also collected preseason All-America honors from a number of outlets. Murphy was an Associated Press All-America third team performer in 2012 when he tied for 23rd nationally with 1.29 tackles for loss per game. He was also team captain of his high school team as a senior.

One of three fifth-year seniors on the defensive side of the ball to be named team captain, Gardner comes off a 2012 campaign in which he started all 14 games at defensive end for one of the nation’s top defenses. Gardner tied for second on the team in tackles for loss (14.5) and sacks (7.5). Gardner is part of the Bednarik, Nagurski and Rotary Lombardi Award watch lists.

Stanford’s season opens Sept. 7 with an 8 p.m. (PT) home game against a San Jose State team that won 11 games a year ago. The game will be televised nationally on Pac-12 Networ#gostanford